"I'm just kidding. Come here," he continued, smiling softly.
"Akira-kun is so excessive," Yuigahama Yui said with mock exasperation, though she still sat beside Akira.
Akira-kun carefully placed the necklace around her neck.
Although the necklace was not that expensive, for Yui, it was the most precious gift she had ever received.
She looked at the little panda charm dangling from it and thought it was incredibly cute.
Then she looked up at Akira.
"Akira-kun… don't you have anything else to say to me?"
"What?" Akira pretended not to understand her question.
Yui pouted and looked at him with anticipation.
Seeing her expression, Akira-kun gently pulled her into his arms.
"I'm only saying this once, so listen carefully," he murmured.
Yui's eyes widened, waiting for his words.
Heart pounding in expectations —
"I like you, Yuigahama Yui.I like you—my little dummy. I love your shyness, your cuteness. I love all of you, the silly girl who cries in my arms and doesn't want to let go."
He finished in one breath.
Immediately, after Yui pressed her lips to his in a soft, eager kiss.
.....
As they left the amusement park, Yui leaned against Akira's shoulder, her face full of happiness. She didn't want to leave his side at all.
They boarded the tram, their next destination being Flash Animation Production Company.
Akira has received a call from Kanae Takahashi.
"The first episode of Puella Magi Madoka Magica is complete. Besides you and Yukinoshita Yukino, the only person missing is Akira-kun."
"I'll be there immediately," Akira replied, "and please invite Wakaka Tamura and Haruto Niino as well."
The importance of the first episode of an animation was self-evident.
Kanae Takahashi, having worked with Akira before, didn't question his instructions and immediately began contacting them.
In less than half an hour, Akira-kun and Yui arrived at Flash Animation.
Yukinoshita Yukino wasn't particularly surprised to see Yui.
"Director Tamura and Director Niino have arrived and are waiting in Kanae Takahashi's office," Yukino informed Akira.
"I understand. Yui, wait here. After work...we'll go home together," Akira said, glancing at Yukino.
"Alright… go with Yukino," Yui replied, understanding Akira's unspoken words.
Yukino's face turned red as she lowered her head, thinking about what her sister had said earlier.
"Let's not keep them waiting," Akira said, walking toward Kanae Takahashi's office.
With Yukino hurriedly following behind him.
Yui watched them go with a slightly complicated expression, but recalling Akira's confession just moments ago, she couldn't help smiling.
"Oh, I almost forgot. I need to tell Yumiko and Hina about this," Yui remembered. She sat on the chair Yukino had occupied and began sending messages.
...
Inside the office,
Kanae Takahashi pressed play, and everyone focused on the screen.
Yukino had a notebook in front of her, ready to record any shortcomings in the first episode, that might occur.
Among those present, Kanae Takahashi was the first to finish watching it. As the team leader, she had to confirm the quality before showing it to the supervisors.
The episode opened with a dream sequence.
The protagonist moved quietly through a deserted building and finally opened a door—
As her shocked expression appeared, music began to play.
The ruined world appeared above, a black-haired girl battled a monstrous entity in the sky.
The animation here was fluid and smooth.
Niino watched the screen with a serious expression, while Wakaka Tamura, glasses perched on her nose, also observed carefully.
Akira recalled the magic circle in his memory. Most parts matched perfectly, though a few minor differences were noticeable — These were within acceptable limits but they were still flaws that could be improved.
Yukino wrote it diligently, noting any flaws she observed.
The plot then transitioned from dreams to reality, showing the protagonist's family and the arrival of a transfer student.
In a scene between Madoka and Homura, Homura suppressed her emotions carefully, but Madoka noticed her unease.
Eventually, a senior student appeared, saving them heroically.
At first glance, it seemed like a typical magical girl story.
After the episode ended, Haruto Niino glanced at Kanae Takahashi.
"Although there are minor flaws, the overall score is over nine points out of ten."
"The performance of the first episode is impressive. I look forward to the next one," he added.
Wakaka Tamura glanced at Yukino but didn't interrupt her writing.
Kanae Takahashi nodded with a small smile. Being recognized by them was encouraging.
"I've finished writing," Yukino said, handing her notebook to Akira.
Akira didn't look at it himself but passed it to Aratahara Niino.
"These are the shortcomings that Supervisor Yukinoshita found...Could you give me your feedback?"
Niino examined the notes carefully, increasingly impressed. Modifying the episode according to Yukino's suggestions would definitely improve it.
After a few minutes, he handed it to Wakaka Tamura, who read it with a smile. Moments later, her expression became serious. She returned the notebook to Akira.
"The shortcomings identified by Supervisor Yukinoshita are excellent. For a new supervisor to do this, it seems Akira-kun has guided her well," she commented.
"This is her own insight," Akira said, looking at the notebook.
"As a supervisor, being able to do this shows she has truly reached a professional stage," Niino evaluated.
Though his praise was restrained, gaining his approval was no small achievement.
"In Director Shinnohara's eyes, most new supervisors are unqualified," Wakaka added with a smile.
Aratahara didn't say anything about Wakaka comment because this is a very high praise from him.
"Thank you for your comments," Yukino said, bowing politely.
Aratahara noded as he looked at Akira, curious about his opinion.
"Yukino-san, I'm very satisfied. From now on, you will be the supervisor for Madoka Magica...When it's completed, let me see it," Akira said, smiling.
"Can I… really do this?" Yukino asked, her confidence wavering slightly.
"This is my recognition of you as the original author."
"I… I'll try my best to find more flaws and make Madoka Magica perfect," she said determinedly.
.....
Every work that Haruto Niino directed consistently earned high scores, a testament to his understanding of the source material and his communication with the original author.
Satisfied authors, readers, and casual viewers alike meant his adaptations were consistently high quality.
Akira's trust in Yukino reflected this principle. Seeing her skill as a supervisor, Niino regarded Akira with slightly more respect.
Unfortunately, Akira was not a full-time supervisor.
He had become Yukino's mentor, guiding her expertise — This reminded Niino of his late wife, a writer with chronic health issues. They had been childhood sweethearts, married after college, and it was her support that inspired him to pursue animation production.
His dream had always been to adapt his wife's novels into animation. Yet, creating an animation was expensive.
Even top directors could not easily fund such projects alone, nor rely on outside investors.
Akira's dedication to Yukino's project mirrored Niinohara's own past regrets.
The first episode of Puella Magi Madoka Magica had been completed, and all necessary modifications would be suggested by Yukino and Kanae Takahashi.
Akira served Niino and Tamura Wakaka black tea.
Regardless of whether it was a manga or light novel adaptation, if a supervisor fully understood the source and communicated well, the adaptation would rarely fail.
Most directors, even with excellent source material, could ruin an adaptation. A true supervisor needed complete understanding, not just a curious glances.
From this perspective, it was very wise for Akira to select Yukino, who fully understood Madoka Magica, as the supervisor.
Yet, one problem puzzled him. He had kept Niino and Tamura in the office to ask directly.
"Director Niino, Director Tamura, I have great respect for both of you, but I must ask… why has Flash Animation never produced an original animation? From the records, there are only a few original works with very small investments," Akira asked.
Niino and Tamura exchanged glances, stunned. Niino remained silent, while Tamura forced a bitter smile.
"Fujimiya-kun, do you think we don't want to produce the animations we truly want?"
"Does President Harada not want to make original animations?" Akira asked again.
...
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